Tray or till



Jan. 17,1928. 1,656,685

c. s. THOMPSON =TRAY on TILL Filed Junq 23, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 till Patented Jane 1?, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQEL CHARLES S1. THOMPSON, DF HERKIMER, NEW YORK,

Lessee;

ASSIGNOB T0 STANDARD FURNI- COTEPANY, O3? HERKIMER, NEW YORK, A COREOBATION OF NEW YORK.

TRAY or. TILL.

Application filed June 23, 1927. Serial No. 200,963.

but the are not vast majority of desks now in use so equipped.

The main ob'ect of the present invention is to produce, in a cheap and satisfactory .manner,

a tray which, while it may he installed at the factory, may with equal facility be fitted andplaced in the drawer of a deslr already in the hands of the user.

A further object'of the invention is to form the tray from a series of elements alike in contour and susceptible of varying arrangement or adjustment with reference to each other, wherebv compartments of different lengths be had to suit the convenience and desires of the user. v

A still further object is to so form the various elements that when positioned in the hereinafter described the side wall of one element or unit forms the end wall of the next adjoining compartment or the end walls of the two compartments immediately adjacent said unit.

With

tages in these and other objects and advanview as will hereinafter appear reference will be had to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a desk drawer showing the tray in positiomthe rear retaining partition being broken away; i

Fig. 2, a top plan view thereof, with the same arrangement of tray units or elements preserved Fig. 3, a

transverse sectional view on the line lIl-III of Fig. 2;

Figs.

4 and 5, perspective views of two of the tray units or members, the latter being of such dimensions that it may set with its channel extending in line with or transversely of the tray as a whole;

Fig. 6, a plan view of a drawer and tray illustrating a slightly modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7. a longitudinal sectional view on the line VILWVH of 6;

Fig. 8, a transverse section on the line Vlll-Vlll of Fig. 6; and

a tra t a fragmentary plan view showing I: shown Figs. '2' it;

Under all forms illustrated the tray elements or units are trough shape incrosssection and rectangular in outline or plan. The majority of the elements or blocks which go to make up a complete tray will preferably be square in outline while one or more will, or may be oblong in plan and of a length twice that of the smallersections.

The smaller or square elements are designated in the various figures as 1 and the longer oblong members by 2. They are all produced from a strip of wood having a groove or channel formed in one face after which the strip is cut up to form the desired units or elements.

The desk drawer in which the tray is to be placed is denoted by 3 and a retaining partition l is mounted therein parallel to the forward face 5 of the drawer and at a distance therefrom equal to the width of the elements 1 and 2 forming in elfect a confining channel for the tray elements or units.- As shown, the partition is held in place by end cleats 6 and 7 secured in any desired manner to the inner faces of the sides of the drawer.

As'will be appreciated from an inspection of the drawings any desired arrangement as to the length of the pockets ordivisions in the tray may be had. Thus the long element 2 may, with the two shorter sections 1. 1, to the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, form a long continuous pocket or channel while the short unit 1 to the-right '90 of element 2 is so positioned as to have its groove extend at right angles to the other. Its side walls then form in effect end walls for the adjacent end of element 2 and for the next adjacent short section 1 to the right.

The second section 1 from the left. Fig. 1. or that which abuts the left hand end of sec tion 2 may or might be given a quarter turn so that one of its sides would form an end wall for, the trough in element or unit 2.

Thus, by having elements 1 square in outline and of a size to fit in between the partition 4 and front 5, or in what may be termed the confining channel, most any desired arrangement or sub-division of the tray may be eifected.

In Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, an arrangement is illustrated wherein removable cross partitions or separators are employedbetween the tray element-s or units; As other an .lltl

rangement a longitudinally extending partition, designated as A n and held in place by cleats G and 7 is employed. The length olthe drawer in this instance is slightly in excess of the a 'regate length of the comhined tray elements 1 and and to C0111.

pensate for this and also allow the channel of the various units to extend in the same direction, transverse partitions are employed. These partitions are held in place by the adjacent elements 1, or 1 and 2 the case may be, in between which the partitions extend.

In Fig. 9 two of the partitions are shown placed side by side and the element 1 at the extreme right is so positioned that its channel extends at right angles to the one next adjacent. Thus there are formed two pockets in the tray hy the elements 1 shown in this figure.

\Vhile the arrangement first descrihed preferred, the use of the partitions may he found advantageous in fitting the tra elements or units where they have been cut. and do not fill out the full length of the confining channel.

The tray elements will ordinarily he produced from wood which is looked upon as scrap and after a strip is channeled or grooved out it will he cut up into blocks forming elements or units as 1 and 2.

What is claimed is.

1. In combination with a. receptacle; :1 cross partition located therein in parallel relation to one of the upstanding elements thereof; and a plurality of removable sections housed Within the space between said upstanding element and the partition, said sections being; concave on their upper face and one oi which at least is square in outline whereby such element may he positioned with its concave face standing in alignment with the concavity of the next adjacent sec tion or at right angles thereto.

In combination with a drawer having a coniihingchanncl lt'ornied adjacent one of the upstandin members thereof; and alpinrality of removable tray forming sections housed in raid channel, one at said sections at leastbeing square in outline and adapted lily reason thereof to he seated in the chan nel. with its concavity extending lengthwise or transversely of the channel.

The coinhination with a receiitacle having" a confining channel, of. flint V structure mounted in said channel and comprising a plurality of reinovalille mcmhcrs certain of which are square in plan and all oi which are formed with a transverse tra forming: groove on their top faces.

.1-. A tra structure comprising in comhination a plurality of hlocks, certain of which are square in plan and all 0'] which have a receptacle forming groove on their top faces, wlierchy a plurality of hloclis may he assent hled to form at will a. single elongated rcceptarle or a plurality oi shorter lt'tCt'IllllPlCS; and incans for retaining said hloclts in asseinl'iled relation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 

